Tag Archives: Academy Awards 2023

Mar17

March 16, 2023 – Obrecht Gets Good News and Bad News, Happy Returns, Guesting, They’re the Top, Everything Academy, Holiday & Unicorn

Posted on March 17, 2023 by theresakp

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Spencer asks why Dex is staying at Sonny’s, but Sonny says he doesn’t have to explain anything to Spencer. They’re both his guests. Dex leaves the room, and Spencer says he can’t deal with Dex right now. Sonny says he knows Spencer has a lot going on, but he has to watch his tone. Sonny’s not his enemy; he’s here for Spencer. Sonny says he appreciates that and he’s sorry, but he’s a bit of a mad mood right now, and Dex is the last person he needed to see.

Josslyn says she doesn’t want to fight with Cameron, but Cameron says he’s asking her to listen to him. She told him so many times that she hated living her life around Sonny’s business. All the times she was in lockdown or had bodyguards trailing after her, that’s her future with this man. She flashes back to Dex telling her that he was hired to work his way into Sonny’s inner circle to gather evidence his employer can use against Sonny. She tells Cameron, Dex is different than Sonny. She doesn’t want him to worry about her. She wants him to go to Stanford and be the star that he is. She’ll be fine. He asks if she promises, and she says she does.

Esme comes back to the rec room with Ace, looking for his binkie, when Trina says, looking for this? and holds it out to her. Esme says, she’s Spencer’s friend, and Trina says, that’s right; she’s Trina. Esme says, Trina Robinson. She knows who Trina is.

Alexis cleans up the drink Gregory spilled when he stumbled, and asks if he’s all right. He says he just lost his footing. Isht no big deal. She asks if he’s been drinking, and he says, it’s 11 am. She says, it never stopped her, and he says, it’s orange juice; period. He had a momentary attack of clutch… klutziness. She says, he’s slurring his words. Drinking just orange juice doesn’t do that.

Nina lets Obrecht in to her apartment, and asks if she’s heard from Terry, but Obrecht says, not yet. She’s waiting on the results of the last round of tests. The lab ran much faster when she was in charge. Nina says, they already know she’s a match. She doesn’t understand the hold-up. Obrecht says, they can’t take chances for Willow’s sake. They have to be patient. Nina says she feels like she’s unraveling, and feels guilty because Willow is the one going through this. Her body is shutting down. How long is she going to be able to hold on?

Carly comes into the Quartermaine sitting room with Amelia, and Maxie says, next on their list is vendors. Did Carly send her the list of vendors who have donated to the Nurses Ball in the past? Carly snuggles Amelia, and Maxie says, hello? Willow tells her, give it up. It’s a fight she won’t win.

Brook comes downstairs when the doorbell rings. She opens the door to Chase. He asks if she’s seen Willow and Michael, then says, who is he kidding? He came to get a peek at Amelia. Brook tells him, get in here. She’s the cutest little thing. She reminds Brook of Bailey when she was that age.

Maxie suggests they take a break. She can’t compete with all that cuteness. She’ll go check on Olivia, and then it will be back to business… Right? She goes over to Carly and Amelia, and Carly asks if Amelia isn’t the cutest.

Brook says she can’t believe Chase didn’t realize he’d shampooed with Bailey’s bubble bath, and he asks if he doesn’t always smell like lavender and chamomile. Besides, it was an honest mistake. Between her and Bailey, there were 50 bottles on the bathtub. Maxie comes out and asks if she’s interrupting, but Chase says he came to see Willow and the baby. Maxie says, the lovefest is in there, and he goes in. She tells Brook, it looks like there was a lovefest going on out here too.

Sonny asks, what’s going on? and Spencer says, Cam’s leaving. He got a scholarship to Stanford to play soccer, and they want him there spring quarter. Sonny says he knows Spencer is going to miss him, and Spencer says, for sure. Cameron’s been there for him despite their stupid rivalries, and now he’s leaving, and Dex is staying here? Sonny asks what this has to do with Dex, and Spencer says, because Joss broke up with Cam to get with Dex.

Alexis leads Gregory to a private area, and says, this is a nice spot. Nobody can see or hear them. Why doesn’t he talk to her? If he’s not drunk, why is he slurring his words? He says he wasn’t aware he was slurring, but he can assure her, he hasn’t been drinking. She says, well, there’s something off with him, and she’d like him to talk to her because she’s his friend. This is a safe space, and she’ll understand. He says, this is ridiculous, and insulting. He’s not drunk. She asks if they can just sit down and talk about this, but he says, no. He has an appointment. She says she’ll drive him. Why doesn’t he just give her his car keys? She holds out her hand.

Obrecht tells Nina, when Britta revealed her diagnosis, she had to sit by and watch her deal with the symptoms, even when Britt pretended not to have them. It was hard, but she had to follow Britta’s lead and respect her choices, and give her the support she needed whenever she needed it. Nina says, of course (🍷) Obrecht is right. She’s so sorry. Obrecht’s phone rings, she looks at it, and puts it down. She says, it’s Scotty; the tenth call today. Why won’t he get the hint? Nina says, Scotty loves her, and Obrecht loves him, but Obrecht says, if he loved her, he would have told her about Elizabeth’s role in harboring Esme Prince. Her silence made the police waste too much time believing Esme was The Hook, instead of looking for the real killer. Her Britta paid with her life. Nina says, Scotty only knew after the fact, but Obrecht says, it doesn’t matter. He helped Elizabeth get away with it. He chose Elizabeth over Obrecht and her family. Nina says, Obrecht just got done giving her some sound advice, so allow her to return the favor. Don’t shut out people who love her. Scotty can support her during this time she’s dealing with Britt’s death. Life is so fragile. They need to spend the little time they have with the people they love.

Sonny says, Josslyn broke up with Cameron, that’s her decision, and Spencer says, maybe he just wants someone to be mad at, and Dex is a convenient target. Sonny asks why Spencer needs a target, and Spencer says, because Cam is leaving, Britt is dead, and his little brother’s in prison bonding with Esme when he should be bonding with his real family. Is that long enough of a laundry list for Sonny? Sonny says, Spencer has Diane working her magic. She’ll get him custody of his baby brother. Spencer says, it can’t happen soon enough, and Sonny puts on his coat. Spencer asks if he’s leaving, and Sonny says he’s going to see Nina. Lay off Dex. Spencer asks how long Dex is staying, but Sonny says he doesn’t know. It’s open-ended, but he wants both of them to co-exist peacefully. Got it? Spencer says he’s got it, Sonny says, good, and leaves.

Trina says, Esme knows who she is? and Esme says, Trina’s one of the people she did terrible things to. Trina says, so she remembers? but Esme says, not even a little. Her lawyers told her about the charges she’s facing, and the people she’s hurt. Trina says, Esme framed her, and she almost went to prison, and Esme asks why she hated Trina so much. Trina asks if Esme is admitting she’s guilty, and Esme tells her, she can’t say that, but people told her about the person she was before. Everybody says she was a terrible excuse for a human being. Trina asks what Esme thinks, and Esme says, if she really did what she’s accused of, she thinks they’re right. But it’s like they’re talking about someone else, someone who terrifies her, and she’s glad she doesn’t have to think what that person thinks or feel what they feel anymore, and she prays to God she never has to. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She just wants to be free so she can raise Ace. Trina says, Spencer’s baby brother; he’s a real cutie. Esme says, he’s her baby, not Spencer’s. Spencer can’t have him. She asks if Spencer sent Trina. Is he outside? Trina tells her to chill. Spencer isn’t outside. He doesn’t even know she’s here. Esme asks if Trina’s his girlfriend, and Trina says, they’re friends. Esme says, if Spencer didn’t send Trina, what is she doing here? and Trina says she wanted to see how Esme and the baby were doing for herself. Esme asks why she cares, and Trina says, they all want what’s best for the baby. Esme says, his name is Ace. Doesn’t she think it’s best for a baby to stay with its mother? Trina says she thinks Esme is really lucky that Spring Ridge is letting her have him with her, but is it really the best place for Ace to be raised in a prison? Esme says, of course (🍷) not, but she’s not giving up her baby. He needs her, and she needs him. She can hardly believed he’s hers, but he is, and she can’t imagine life without him. She loves him so much. Trina says she can see that, and Esme says she’s sorry for everything she did to Trina and her friends, but she’s not that person. She doesn’t even remember who that person was, so to go to prison now for something she doesn’t even remember doing, it doesn’t seem fair, to her or Ace. Trina says she wishes they could all forget that too, and Esme says her parents were insane, and her lawyer says she’s not responsible because her dad was influencing her. Trina says, no one forced Esme to drug her, or to record Joss and Cam having sex, and Esme asks if she knows that for sure.

Gregory says, Alexis wants his car keys? and she says, if he doesn’t want to talk about it, that’s on him, but she doesn’t think he’s in any condition to drive. He says, for the last time, he’s not drunk, and she tells him, which is what she said every time she was drunk. He says, not everyone is a drunk like her, and she says she’s not trying to embarrass him or cause a scene… and he says, but she will, won’t she? Because Alexis Davis never admits when she’s wrong. He gives her his keys, and says, he’ll call a car. She says, they’ll be in her office when he wants to pick them up, but he says, leave them with the concierge. He never wants to see her again. He walks out.

Dex asks if Sonny left, and Spencer says, yeah. He asks where Sonny went, and Spencer says, Dex is off duty; it’s not his problem. Dex says he won’t get in Spencer’s way again, but Spencer says, don’t worry. He promised Sonny that he’d play nice. Dex says he’s not worried, and Spencer says, then why is Dex lying to his uncle.

Chase says, Amelia is so beautiful; she looks just like Willow. He’s so happy for her. She’s so lucky… He’s sorry. Willow says, don’t be. She is lucky. She has so much love in her life. Two beautiful healthy children, a family that’s embraced her, good friends and co-workers wishing her well, and a team of doctors doing everything they can. The least she can do is do her part and keep the faith. They should know today if Dr. Randolph approves using Liesl Obrecht as a stem cell donor.

Nina lets Sonny in, and they hug. Obrecht says, before he asks, there’s no word yet. Would he like some tea? He says he’s more of a coffee guy. Corinthos Coffee. Nina asks why there are two bodyguards outside, and he says, they’ll talk about that later. Has Obrecht seen Michael or Willow? Obrecht says, not recently; nothing to report. Obrecht’s phone rings, and Nina says, she’s going to have to talk to Scotty sooner or later. Pick up the phone. Obrecht looks at it, and says, it’s not Scotty; it’s the hospital.

Esme asks Trina, what if her father really was threatening her? He’s dead, and she can’t remember anything. How will they ever know the truth? Trina says, without Esme’s memories, it’s definitely a complicated situation. Esme says, it’s time for Ace’s nap, and Trina says she’ll go. Esme asks if she passed the test, and Trina says, what test? Esme says she may have lost her memories, but she’s not stupid. (She also said that to Doc, but it’s still just as amusing.) Trina came here to see if she was lying, didn’t she? Trina says, Esme’s always been an excellent liar, and she’s never been stupid, and neither has Trina. So yes. She came here to judge Esme for herself. Esme says she appreciates Trina’s honesty, and hopes Trina can appreciate hers. She’s not lying. She doesn’t have any memory of her life before this, and doesn’t think she ever will. She’s not wrong. I’ve read amnesiacs usually recover their memories quickly or not at all. Esme leaves with Ace.

Cameron says he should get back to work, and Josslyn says she should leave. They look at each other for a moment, and he says, awkward. She says she’s getting middle school flashbacks. She asks if they’re good, and he says, be happy. She says, him too, and her phone rings. It’s Trina, who asks, is she still with Cam? Josslyn says, he’s finishing up his shift, and she’s about to leave. What’s up? Trina says she has something important to tell Josslyn, Cam, and Spencer. Spencer said they could come to Sonny’s place. Can they meet her there? Josslyn asks, what’s going on? and Trina says she’ll tell Josslyn when she sees her, then hangs up.

Maxie tells Brook, everyone’s got their assignments, so she’s going to head out, and Brook says, they’ll talk tomorrow. Maxie says, one quick question before she goes. Why isn’t Brook in the sitting room? Brook says she just wanted to give Chase a little alone time with everyone, and Maxie says, this isn’t residual weirdness about him and Sasha, because she thought they cleared that up. Brook says, sort of. She knows nothing was going on; she talked to Sasha. Maxie says, not Chase? Why doesn’t Brook just be honest with him? Chase comes out, Maxie says, here’s her chance, and jets. Chase says, Brook is still here, and she says she wants him.

Willow is asleep on the sofa, and Carly tells Michael, mother and baby are down for a nap. How is he? He tells her not to worry about him, but she says she does worry about him. She knows it’s not easy playing the waiting game, or watching Willow struggle to do the simplest things. It’s got to be heartbreaking. He says, sometimes he has to leave the room, just for a moment, long enough to get himself back under control, so he can be the partner Willow needs him to be. She says, he is, and he says he can’t lose her. They can’t lose her. She has to be okay. Carly hugs him, and says, it’s going to be okay.

Dex asks what Spencer thinks he’s lying to Sonny about, and Spencer says, Joss for starters. He was told to stay away from her, correct? But as soon as he heard she broke up with Cam, there he was, moving right on in. Dex asks where he’s getting his information, and Spencer says, he’s denying it? and Dex says, yeah. Spencer says, so Dex hasn’t been sneaking around with Joss, and Dex says, Spencer’s known Josslyn a long time. Spencer says, that’s correct, and Dex asks if she seems like the type to sneak around. Spencer says, no, and Dex says, there’s his answer. There’s a knock at the door, and Dex opens it to Josslyn and Cameron.

Obrecht is still on the phone, and Nina asks how long it takes to say you can donate or you can’t. Sonny says, Liesl’s a doctor; she’ll want to know the details. Obrecht thanks Terry for calling her personally, and she has a really serious face. I don’t love Willow all that much, but I want Obrecht to saved the day, and Nina doesn’t need any more daughter heartache. Nina says, well? and Obrecht says, she’s going to be Willow’s stem cell donor. (Yay!) Nina squeals and says, oh thank God, grabbing Sonny’s hand. Obrecht says, but (uh-oh) there’s a problem.

Alexis tosses Gregory’s keys on the table, and Sam asks, whose are those? Alexis says she took Gregory’s car keys, and Sam says, Alexis doesn’t want him driving? Alexis says she doesn’t think it’s a good idea when you’re intoxicated, and Sam asks if he was over the legal limit. Alexis says she doesn’t know; she doesn’t have a breathalyzer with her. He was slurring his words, and he was unstable on his feet. I hate to tell her, but that could be any number of things from a diabetic attack to a stroke. Sam asks if Alexis smelled alcohol, and Alexis says, no, but she didn’t think he was in any condition to drive. Sam asks if she’s seen him like this before, and Alexis says, never. It’s completely out of character. Sam says, maybe Alexis is seeing another side, and Alexis says, maybe she never knew him in the first place.

Josslyn asks why there are so many guards here. Is Sonny in? Dex says, no, he’s out, and in a regal voice, Spencer says, don’t just stand there. Show his guests inside. Dex moves his arm, and winces, and Josslyn almost says something, but doesn’t. She asks if Trina is here, and Spencer says, she texted; she’s on her way. He asks Dex to give them some privacy, and Dex says he’ll be in his room. Spencer asks if they know what this is about, but Cameron says, no clue. Is Dex living here now? Josslyn looks like she has a headache, and Spencer says, yeah, unfortunately. Sonny invited him; can they believe it? Josslyn tells him, Trina said she had something important to tell all three of them, but she hung up before Josslyn could find out what it was. Spencer says, when she texted, he assumed she was still at Kelly’s with them, but Cameron says, she took off right after Spencer left. Spencer asks if she said where she was going, and Cameron says, no. Spencer says, did she sound okay? when there’s a knock at the door, Spencer opens the door, and asks if Trina’s okay. Trina strides in, and says she’s fine. She went to see Esme. Josslyn asks, why? and Trina says she wanted to see the new and improved version for herself. Spencer says, a delight, he’s sure. Is his baby brother okay? Trina says, he’s adorable. She’s holding him, and rocking him, and loving him. Spencer says, she makes a big show of that, doesn’t she? and Trina says, he doesn’t believe she loves her baby? He asks what she thinks, and Trina says she thinks it’s amazing how differently Esme acts now. He says, acts being the operative word? and Trina says, if Esme is acting, she’s very convincing. Which is why she wants to go to the DA, and asks him to drop the charges against her.

Chase says, Brook wants him? and she says, for the Nurses Ball. She’s organizing the musical acts, and she wants him and Blaze to perform for free. He says, of course (🍷). He can only speak for himself, but he’s in, with or without Blaze. The Nurses Ball is a great cause. She says, and he’s a great guy, when the doorbell rings. It’s Obrecht, and Brook invites her in. She says she has to speak with Willow, and Brook says she’s in the living room. I was calling it a sitting room. There’s no TV that I can see, so how can it be a living room? Obrecht goes in, and says she’s sorry to disturb them, but Michael says, not at all. Willow sits up, and asks if it’s good news. Obrecht says, yes. Dr. Randolph has cleared her to donate. However, they can’t harvest her stem cells right away. The transplant has been put on hold. Willow asks, for how long? and Michael takes her hand.

Sonny tells Nina, the good news is, Willow still has a donor. It’s huge. Nina agrees, but says, every second counts, and now they have to wait for Aunt Liesl’s medication to get out of her system. She didn’t even know Obrecht was taking anti-coagulants. He says, the doctors are taking her off of it, but it’s not safe to donate until it’s completely out of her system. Nina says, they’re running out of time. Her daughter needs a transplant now. They can’t afford to wait.

Alexis tells Sam that Gregory is furious with her. He accused her of being self-righteous and not being able to admit when she’s wrong… which is not wrong. He said she was projecting her alcoholism on everyone else because she’s one. Sam says, she doesn’t do that, and Alexis admits she does. She’s hyper sensitive about problem drinking for obvious reasons. Maybe she just went too far. Sam says, he did seem unstable, but one day of day drinking doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic. Alexis says she knows, but something’s not right. What triggered her instinct was how he reacted when she asked if he’d been drinking. He was immediately hostile and defensive. That’s a classic alcoholic trick; self-righteousness, then a stormy exit. Sam says she knows it well, and Alexis says she’s sorry. Given her history, she’s telling Sam, he’s hiding something.

Josslyn tells Trina, the DA isn’t just going to drop the charges against Esme because they asked. He certainly didn’t drop them against Trina when they asked. Trina says, as long as Esme’s in prison, so is Ace. They have to do something. Spencer says he is doing something, and it doesn’t include dropping the charges against Esme. She needs to pay for what she did to all of them. Trina says, that’s exactly why she can’t be charged right now.

Esme sits down to read in the rec room, and a guard hands her a letter, saying, she’s got mail. Esme sees it’s from Heather in D’Archam, and literally drops it like it’s hot.

Nina tells Sonny that she wishes she could talk to Willow. Don’t worry; she’s not going to. Willow doesn’t want to talk to her, and she’s not going to upset her. She asks if Sonny wants to tell her why there’s two bodyguards out front, and he says he’s adding extra security. She asks, why? and he says, they can talk about it later. She says, they can talk about it now, and he says, there was an incident last night, and she asks if he’s hurt. He says, she can see he’s not, and she asks, what happened? He says, she’s the one who said she didn’t want to know anything about his business.

Cameron says, Trina lost him, and Josslyn says she’s in no way anxious to sit through a trial, but she’ll happily do it. Esme needs to face justice. Trina says, what if justice is impossible right now? Think about it. Esme is this poor, young, single mother who doesn’t remember anything about her crimes or the person she used to be. What if the jury feels sorry for her, and lets her off? And if that happens, and Esme goes back to being the old Esme one day, she can’t be tried for the same crimes a second time. Josslyn says she gets it. If the DA holds off on prosecuting Esme, Esme will still have her old crimes hanging over her head. One slip-up that shows her memory is back, she can be tried and convicted. Trina says, exactly. Prosecuting her right now is too big of a risk. Besides, there’s Ace to think about. Esme could be stuck in Spring Ridge until the trial starts, and that could be months from now. Spencer says, months of his brother being raised by security guards and surrounded by criminals. Is Trina sure she wouldn’t mind seeing Esme walking around free? Trina says she’s sure, and asks what Cam and Joss think. It’s their call too. Cameron says he’s in, and Josslyn says, her too. For Ace’s sake, Esme needs to go free.

Brook says, Dr. Obrecht didn’t seem so happy, and Chase says, does she ever? Brook says she hopes it’s not bad news. Willow and Michael couldn’t take another disappointment. He takes her hand.

Obrecht says, when her medication is out of her system, they can proceed. Willow says, but is it safe for her to donate? and Obrecht says, once her blood can clot again normally, there’s no danger to her. She’s so sorry for the delay. Willow says, don’t apologize. She already owes Obrecht so much. Michael thanks her for coming by in person, and Obrecht says, full transparency. She was with Nina and Sonny when she got the news; they know. Willow says, that’s okay. She agreed to keep Nina in the loop about her health. Obrecht says, Nina is very grateful, and gets up. Carly asks if Willow wants to go to the gatehouse and get some rest, but Willow wants to wait until Amelia wakes up. Carly says she’ll walk Obrecht out, and Willow asks Carly to fill everyone in. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Obrecht says she’ll be in touch. They leave, and Michael asks how Willow really feels. Willow says, fine, really, and Amelia makes a cute sound. Michael goes over to the bassinette.

Brook walks Chase out, and he says he’ll let her know what Blaze says about the Nurses Ball. Is she okay? She says, sure. Him? He says, take it easy, and leaves. She looks at him longingly.

Carly asks if Willow wants her to take Amelia, but Willow says, she’s enjoying having Amelia with her. Could she bring Wiley down from the playroom? Carly says, that’s a great idea, and Michael asks if she needs help, but she says she’s pretty good at bribing little boys away from their toys. She’s also good at listening. If he’s ready to talk, she’s here. She leaves, and Michael watches Willow with Amelia.

Sam tells Alexis that she talked to Trish, and she said, Gregory was served no alcohol here today. Alexis says she doesn’t know what it is. Maybe it’s pills… something. He’s hiding something. Sam says, it’s true he lied to her about not working at PCU anymore, and Alexis says, that’s what addicts do. They lie – a lot. Must. Have. Alexis’s. Plaid. Duster.

Trina thanks someone on the phone, and she tells the others that Diane has time right now. Spencer says, let’s do it, and thanks her for trying to help his baby brother. He and Trina gaze at each other, and Josslyn tells them, when Diane says now, she means now. Trina says she’ll meet them in the lobby, and Spencer tells Cameron not to think for a second he’s leaving without a goodbye party. Cameron and Josslyn leave, and Spencer tells Trina, he can’t believe he’s doing this for his brother’s sake, but prison is no place for an infant. She says, at least from what she can tell, Esme’s not a threat to anyone, and he says he sure hopes she’s right.

Esme looks at the letter on the floor, approaches it cautiously, and picks it up. She tears it open, and reads it.

Michael tells Willow that his mom said Wiley needed a quick clean-up; he was fingerpainting. Willow says, that’s all right. This is nice. She meant what she said about keeping the faith. She’ll hang around as long as necessary. Her family gives her strength.

Nina says, something happened that worried Sonny enough to increase his security, and he says, he’s not worried; he’s handling it. She says, if she knew the details, would she be worried? and he doesn’t look at her. She says she takes that as a yes, and he reminds her, she said she didn’t want to know. She says she didn’t think she did. Now she’s not so sure.

Tomorrow, Laura says, life is full of surprises; Diane is about to make someone’s day; Phyllis asks Nina if this is a relationship she can sustain; and Carly tells Sonny, they both know he can’t make that promise.

🐑 Return To the Soap Fold…

If there was ever a time for the heads of GH fans to explode, it’s now.

Jane Elliot’s GH Return Date Revealed!

Emma Samms Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

Yvette Nicole Brown to Appear in GH’s Tribute to Sonya Eddy

🚑 After the Hospital…

They just missed Britt.

GH’s Johnny Wactor and Chloe Lanier Guest on STATION 19

🔪 Bringing Their Knives…

The latest season of Top Chef started last week, but it’s not too late to ketchup.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-20-cast-premiere-date-trailer

https://parade.com/tv/top-chef-season-20

🏆 All About Oscar…

Better late than never. The winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/12/entertainment/oscar-winners-2023/index.html

The best and worst moments. I’m sure it’s debatable. There seemed to be a bunch of flack about Lady Gaga singing the song from Top Gun with too much passion for a song about a plane. Maybe it means something different to her.

https://mashable.com/article/oscars-2023-best-worst-moments

https://nypost.com/2023/03/13/the-best-and-worst-moments-of-oscars-2023/

The parties.

https://ew.com/oscars/oscars-2023-after-party-photos/

https://pagesix.com/2023/03/13/inside-the-star-studded-oscars-2023-parties/

https://deadline.com/gallery/2023-oscars-parties-photos/

And of course, the fashion.

https://people.com/style/every-must-see-outfit-change-from-the-2023-oscars-photos/

See the 20 most interesting looks from the 2023 Oscars

https://pagesix.com/2023/03/14/melissa-rivers-on-the-best-and-worst-oscars-2023-looks/

🍀 Top O’ the Mornin’…

All about St. Patrick’s Day. When I worked in NYC, I hated it. Not just because the parade would block 5^th Avenue for half the day, but teenagers would be sitting on the curb getting drunk sick at 11 am. I think they’ve put an end to a lot of that, but I still get flashbacks.

https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day

🍺 Making My O’Exit…

On the menu tomorrow is soap, tea, words of the wise (or not), and the joy of music. Until then, stay safe, stay in the eye of the hurricane mentally, and stay remembering that life is fragile, and you need to spend the little time you have with the people you love.

Mar14

March 13, 2023 – Dante Learns a Secret About Cody, Surprisingly Humongous Tip On Deck, Awfulness Tomorrow, Winner Winner & Winner

Posted on March 14, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Victor comes out of an exam room, and sees Elizabeth. He says, hello, and she looks at him like he has two heads.

Felicia sees Doc and Laura at the MetroCourt restaurant, and asks if they’re there for a late lunch or early dinner. Laura says, it just the first moment they’ve gotten to slow down, and Doc says he had to deal with his brother’s remains today.

Mac asks if Cody is up for another round, and Cody says, no reason not to. Cody gets up, and the paternity test falls to the floor. Mac picks it up, telling Cody he dropped something, and asks, what’s this? as we all do when something’s not any of our business.

On the phone, Drew thanks Michael, and says he believes it’s for the best. The doorbell rings, and Drew says he’ll check in later. He opens the door to Dante and Scout. He picks Scout up, and says he missed her so much. He tells her that Wiley and Olivia are upstairs, and word is, they have a new game for her to play. She asks if Carly is upstairs, and Drew asks why she’d say that. She says, Carly is always with him now. Told you.

Ava says, now Nina has important information about Carly, like Carly had important information about her. The question is, what’s she going to do with it? Nina says, they don’t really know anything for sure; they’re speculating. Ava says, there’s no other explanation. Carly and Drew committed insider trading. Nina says, and if anyone powerful found out, they might end up in prison.

Carly says she’s not trying to break Josslyn’s spirit. She knows Josslyn is hopeful Dex is going to leave Sonny’s world, and she wants Josslyn to be realistic. Josslyn says she appreciates Carly being direct with her, but what else is Dex supposed to do? If he wants out, he has he at least try. She thinks Dex is willing to do what it takes.

Sonny and Dex walk into the warehouse, and Dex says, it’s isolated, which is good; less chance someone will notice the shipment when it arrives. But Sonny will need to put cameras up. Sonny says he’s got someone on that, when a sniper trains a gun on Dex. Dex asks, how many points of entry? when he hears the gun cock. He pushes Sonny down, and tells him to stay down; there’s a sniper. Sonny pops up and shoots, ducking back down again, and Dex asks what he’s doing. He says, the guy will blow Sonny’s head off if he gets a clear shot, but Sonny shoots at the sniper again.

Josslyn says, Dex needs to be strategic about it, and Carly asks if she even wants to know, when Bobbie walks in with Donna. And hallelujah – the moss bowl 🎍is back! Donna hugs Carly, and Carly says she thought Donna was going to the zoo with grandma. Bobbie says, that was the plan, but Donna said her ears hurt. Carly says she still has a refill for Donna’s drops. She’ll go to GH, pick up the prescription, and Donna will feel better. If only she could fix Josslyn’s problems that easily.

Drew tells Scout that Carly isn’t always around, and Dante says, Carly has been helping to take care of Wiley’s mom, since she hasn’t been feeling well. He suggests she go upstairs and play; he wants to go to the stables and say hi to Cody. Scout asks him, say hi to the horses too, especially Thor, and he says, deal. They high-five, and she runs upstairs. Drew thanks Dante for bringing her, and Dante says, of course (🍷). Drew says, they grow up so fast, and Dante says, Danny and Rocco are teenagers; it’s crazy. Drew asks if he and Sam are thinking about having another one, but Dante says he thinks that chapter’s closed. He’s looking forward to the next chapter, whatever that is. Drew says he found out the hard way how short life is. He can’t wait to find out what the next chapter is himself.

Nina admits, bringing Carly down is so tempting, and Ava says, she and Carly have actually been on better terms lately, so personally, it woudn’t please her as much to see Carly in an orange jumpsuit as it would have a few years ago. Nina says, they don’t know if Carly and Drew would definitely go to prison. Maybe they’ll just pay a fine. Are you kidding? Nina runs a magazine, and never heard of Martha Stewart? Ava says she’s pretty sure people go to prison for insider trading, and Drew and Carly colluded to raise Aurora’s value. Nina says, they don’t know… and Ava says, theoretically colluded. Admit it. There has to be a part of Nina that’s glad to have Carly’s life in her hands again. Just like she did when she was in Nixon Falls.

Victor says, how lucky for him to bump into Elizabeth. They simply must continue their conversation from the other day. She says, sorry, she’s on duty, and he says, they previously discussed her involvement with his nephew’s ridiculous plot to keep Esme prisoner. He got the distinct impression there was more she wasn’t telling him. Elizabeth says she’s sure by now he knows it’s over. The police must have questioned him. He has no more leverage over her. He says, the police? and she says, he doesn’t know, does he? She made a deal with the PCPD in exchange for immunity. She told them everything, including his role in the cover-up. Not that he’s asking, but her advice to him is, get a good lawyer.

Felicia is sure dealing with Ryan’s remains wasn’t easy for Doc, and he says he appreciates that. He doesn’t think anyone should have to pretend they’re upset Ryan’s gone, especially her, and she says she can still acknowledge it’s hard for him. Ryan was his twin brother. Laura says, given the situation, they thought the best thing they could do was give Doc a private moment to spread Ryan’s ashes. Doc’s phone rings, and he says, a patient; he has to take this. He leaves, and Felicia asks how he’s really holding up. Laura says, he brought up his parents’ divorce for the first time in years. Doc stayed with his father when they split, and Ryan went with their mother. Felicia says, the mom who wound up molesting him, and Laura says, Doc told her that he could remember the day he said goodbye to his brother like it was yesterday; when he was young and he seemed so innocent. Even though he knows better, she thinks Doc still struggles with this notion that he could have done more. She knows he’s upset about Lucy. Felicia asks if Laura’s told him that she’s still alive, but Laura says, no. She feels like she needs to protect him right now. She feels like that situation could go south at any moment, but the longer it goes on, the harder it’s going to be. Felicia says she feels the same way about Mac. He knows there’s more going on with Anna. Maybe it’s time they bring their husbands in on what they’ve been up to.

Mac partially opens the paper, sees it’s from the lab, and says he guesses it’s personal. Cody grabs it back, and says, it’s nothing; just forget about it. He puts it back in his pocket, and Mac asks if everything is okay with him. Cody says, he was a little short of money this month, so he donated some plasma for cash. It’s just a little embarrassing, that’s all. Mac says, there’s nothing embarrassing about having money trouble. Been there and done that himself. If Cody needs help getting work, he and Felicia don’t have the bar anymore, but he knows a lot of people and can help. Cody says he’s the last person Mac should be helping.

Dex shoots back, and the sniper shoots again. Dex says, they’ve got to move. The longer they stay here, the worse their chances. From outside the door, Tony says, boss! and Sonny says, Tony? Tony asks what they’re looking at, and Dex says, a sniper with a rifle. Sonny calls out that his guys are here, and there’s more on the way. He wants to live, put his rifle down, and give himself up.

Mac says, Cody is the last person he should help? What does that mean? Cody says, they probably shouldn’t have that second round of beers, picking up the bottles. He still has work to do. Mac says, they were just having a nice talk. Why does he get the sense Cody is blowing him off? Dante comes in, and says, he didn’t mean to interrupt. Cody says, it’s fine, and tells Mac, sorry. He totally forgot he had plans with Dante. Mac says, no problem. He’s supposed to meet with his wife anyway. Cody says, about that friend of Mac’s. He knows things might be awkward and uncomfortable, but he thinks they should talk it out. If they don’t, things are just going to get more difficult to fix. In his experience, a really good friend who’s done right by you is hard to come by in this world. Mac says, good to know, and leaves. Dante asks, what was that all about?

Laura tells Felicia that she thinks it’s time they check in with Robert and Anna. She can’t help this feeling that things are about to blow up. Her phone rings, and she steps away to take the call. In a private area, she says, hello, Drew, and he says, sorry to bother her, but can they meet today? He has a proposal he wants to run by her.

Doc comes back to the table, and asks if he lost his wife. Felicia says, she had to take a call, and Doc sits down. She says she doesn’t want to make a big deal out of this, but she’s been trying to reach out to him for the last couple of days, and he hasn’t responded. He says he should have called back, and she asks why he hasn’t. He says he didn’t know what to say. Mac did what he had to do. His brother was a killer, and had to be stopped. His head knows that, but his heart is grieving and he can’t explain that. He looks at the people his brother terrorized, and many of those people are people he loves. He doesn’t want to mourn Ryan. Felicia takes his hand.

Victor says he wants to know exactly what Elizabeth told the police about him, and she says she told him that he wasn’t part of the kidnapping, but once he found out, he had no qualms about covering up his nephew’s tracks. She can imagine he did play a pivotal role in Nikolas leaving town. He says he had absolutely no part in this ill-conceived mess that she and Nikolas got themselves into, and she says, what’s that saying? It’s not about the crime; it’s about the cover-up? And he’s all over that. All she did was tell the truth, something his family is unfamiliar with, so consider this conversation over. He grabs her arm and says, they’re finished when he says they’re finished, but Carly stomps over and tells him, lay the hell off, Cassadine.

Sonny loads his gun, and tells Dex, he’s almost out. Dex says, Tony’s at the door. He and Tony can keep the shooter busy, and it’s Sonny’s best chance to get out. Sonny says, Dex knows what he’s doing, right? and Dex says, this is what he was trained to do. On three. One… two… three. He and Tony start to shoot, and Sonny ducks out the door. There’s gunfire back and forth, and Dex gets hit.

Bobbie says, Donna is down for her nap. Now she can get some work done. She salutes the moss bowl 🎍 as she goes past, and Josslyn says she thought this was Bobbie’s day off. Bobbie says, it is, but Maxie asked her to help plan the Nurses Ball, and Josslyn says, that’s awesome. She didn’t know they were doing it this year. Bobbie says, this year, not only is the Ball going to help fund research for HIV/AIDS, it’s also going to honor the hospital’s 60^th anniversary, and the GH staff they’ve lost. Josslyn says, it’s a beautiful way to keep their memories alive, and Bobbie says, providing she can come up with enough musical acts. She’s going to reach out to the GH nurses, like Epiphany, Felix, Amy, and Deanna, but she’s also going to ask some non-GH staff, like Ned, Chase… and Cameron. Josslyn says she’s not so sure Cam would be up for performing this year. He’s been through a lot, and she hasn’t helped.

Carly asks if no one ever taught Victor not to put his hands on a woman, and Victor says, it’s lovely to see her again, calling her Mrs. Corinthos. She says, it’s Carly Spencer; a name she knows he’s familiar with. He says he’s just waiting for his test results, and she says, then he can wait somewhere else. He says, until next time, and tells Elizabeth that he hopes the situation with Esme doesn’t come back to haunt her. He leaves, and Elizabeth thanks Carly, but says she had it under control. Carly says, no offense, but it didn’t look like it, and asks what Victor was talking about; what situation with Esme?

Victor makes a call, saying, he may be in a spot of legal bother. Apparently, Elizabeth Baldwin made a statement to the PCPD and brought up his name. He needs them to find out exactly what she said.

Elizabeth says, it will all be coming out, so she may as well tell Carly. When Esme showed up at Windymere, she was pregnant with Nikolas’s child. Carly says, wow. When you think a man can’t sink any lower, he sleeps with his son’s girlfriend. Elizabeth says, at the time, everybody thought Esme was The Hook killer, even the police, and Carly asks why they didn’t go straight to the police with it. Elizabeth says, because Nikolas didn’t want his baby being born in prison, and they thought she was dangerous, so he came up with an alternate plan. He kept Esme locked up in one of the Windymere towers, and she provided Esme with medical care. She already told Cameron everything – not Jake or Aiden yet – but because she made a deal with the DA’s office, this is all going to be public very soon. She doesn’t know what came over her. She can only imagine what Carly must be thinking about her right now. Carly says she’s thinking she would have done the same thing.

Nina says, there’s no part of her that enjoys being put in this position again. Don’t get her wrong; she’s happy things worked out with Sonny. But her desire to get revenge against Carly has cost her so much. Although she supposes it would serve Carly right to serve a little time in prison, given Carly kept her from her daughter for the better part of a year. Ava says she’s not going to kill anybody or call anybody, but Nina is. She hands Nina her phone, and says, it’s the number for the SEC; she’s going to call. Isn’t this what she wants? What is she waiting for?

Felicia says she knows Doc isn’t mourning the man who stalked her or terrorized Ava. He’s mourning the little boy he still remembers, before bad things happened to Ryan. Can she tell him a secret? He says, always, and she says, when she heard Ryan was taken to the morgue, she snuck down to see him. After all the pain he put her through, she had to see his dead body for herself. Doc says he understands, and she says she told herself, if she could see he was really gone, and he was no longer a threat to her, maybe she might be able to forgive him, but she’s ashamed to say she couldn’t. She cries, and Doc tells her, don’t ever feel that she has to forgive him. Don’t ever be ashamed for how you really feel. Felicia is immediately together, and says, exactly. Doesn’t the doctor think it’s time he take his own advice? Mac approaches the table, and says, sorry he’s late; the day got away from him.

Dante says, it seems like Cody was trying to get rid of Mac. Why? Cody says he found out what happened with Mac and Ryan, so he sent Mac a couple of texts to make sure he’s okay. Then out of nowhere, Mac shows up where he works. Mac’s clearly trying to be best buds, but he was like, hey man, I got enough friends, thanks. Dante laughs, and says, Cody’s got so many friends, he can count them on one hand, and still have a finger left over. Cody says he hopes Dante knows what finger he’s saving for him, and Dante says he does, and that’s not very nice. Cody took the time to text Mac, and Mac came over to see him. He’s not Cody’s father, but he can still be a friend. He’s known Mac a long time; he’s a stand-up guy. Cody says he knows. Dante’s told him. Everyone’s told him. Maxie’s told him, Sam has told him, which is exactly why he doesn’t deserve to have Mac in his life. Not after what he’s done to Mac.

Nina asks what Ava’s doing. She’s trying to take the high road here. Drew comes over, and says, sorry to interrupt, but does Nina have a second? Nina says, sure, and he says he just wanted to touch base now that her Aunt Liesl is going to be Willow’s bone marrow donor. Nina says, they’re very grateful. She’s doing more tests actually. I’m wondering when Drew became Michael’s spokesperson. Drew says, it’s amazing that Obrecht is stepping up, and Nina says, Obrecht’s always been her rock. It was very difficult to find out Willow was her daughter, then find out she’s fighting leukemia. Drew says, Nina doesn’t have to explain to him. He lost a child to cancer, and although their situations are very different, he wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemies. Nina thanks him, and he asks if he can offer her some hard-won advice. She says, what’s that? and he says, while she’s trying to take care of Willow from a distance, don’t forget to take care of herself. He leaves, and Nina and Ava look at each other.

Elizabeth says, there’s no way Carly can understand why she helped Nikolas the way she did, and Carly says, help Nikolas? No, but she can certainly understand Elizabeth’s instincts. They’ve had their issues over the years, but she could never fault Elizabeth the loyalty she has to her children and family. Carly would move heaven and earth to protect hers; they have that in common. Elizabeth agrees, and Carly says, if Jason asked her to help him the way Nikolas asked Elizabeth, she wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. Although Jason never would have been duped by Esme. Elizabeth says, much less slept with her, and Carly says, and more important, he would never have vanished when the heat was on and left her holding the bag. He would never have done that to Elizabeth either. She knows Nikolas is a good friend of Elizabeth’s, and she’s really sorry Nikolas betrayed her like this. She’s not going to turn this into a therapy session, but this is one of the things that frustrates her about Elizabeth. They’re so much alike, but Elizabeth never learns the tough lesson Carly learned a long time ago – be careful who you give your loyalty to. They may not return it in kind.

Dex checks the wound in his upper arm, and puts a new clip in his gun. The sniper continues to fire, and Dex fires back, Sonny now firing from the doorway. Sonny hits the sniper, who falls to the floor. Tony goes to check on him, and Sonny asks if Dex is all right. Dex says he’s glad Sonny came back.

Josslyn says she and Cam broke up, but she has the feeling Bobbie already knew that, and Bobbie says, a grandmother has a way of figuring these things out, like Carly wouldn’t have told her. But she’s noticed that Josslyn’s been acting a lot lighter lately, so does that mean someone else is making her happy? Josslyn says, she and Cam had been growing apart for almost a year, and Bobbie says, because of the revenge porn? Josslyn says, that certainly didn’t help. Maybe there’s a world where they would have stayed together out of sheer momentum, but a lot happened this year, and they just feel like two different people. They both lost a lot. Bobbie says, the whole town lost a lot this year, and that’s why it’s so important they all come together and celebrate. Not only the amazing achievement of General Hospital being around for 60 years, but also the fact it’s still thriving. And they’re going to honor those they lost; Lucy, Valentin, and Britt. I guess Anna is chopped liver? Josslyn says, and Uncle Luke, and takes Bobbie’s hand.

Victor paces an exam room, and looks at his watch. The doctor some in, and apologizes for keeping him waiting. The results are in. They found something concerning in his bloodwork.

Elizabeth tells Carly that she doesn’t want to be hardened by this, and certainly doesn’t want Nikolas’s actions to change who she is. But this experience has definitely changed her perspective. She can almost see, in a warped way, how her parents thought they were protecting her. Ultimately, her dad’s actions were about protecting himself from embarrassment, but she could see how they were tempted to go down that path. Carly says, Elizabeth would never do that to her kids, and Elizabeth says, never, but the anger she had toward her parents? She’s not there anymore. She wants to just hold on to the good memories, before it all went to hell. Carly says she was hoping Elizabeth would come to that decision at some point, and takes a photo out of her wallet. It’s the photo of Elizabeth’s parents that she swiped.

Drew meets Laura in a private area at the MetroCourt, and she asks what the mysterious proposal is. He says he’ll keep it simple. In the wake of Valentin’s death, Charlotte has been left with a large portion of ELQ voting stock. Obviously, Charlotte isn’t of voting age, so this falls on Laura’s shoulders, at least for a few years. She says she still hasn’t heard a proposal, and he says, so he and Ned have agreed on a plan to buy back Charlotte’s stock at a very good price, provided Laura is on board.

Nina says she’s not going to tattle on Carly today, and Ava says she didn’t think Nina would, especially after that conversation. Nina says, her issues are with Carly, not with Drew. He’s a stand-up guy (maybe he should hang out with Mac), and if she says anything, he’s going to go to prison too. No matter what she thinks or feels about Carly, Carly has been the main source of support for Willow and Michael during this really difficult time, and there’s nothing worth taking that away from Willow.

Felicia says she thinks Mac and Doc should spend some time alone, and leaves the table. Doc says, have a seat, and Mac sits, saying, he’s been avoiding Doc for the last few days. Doc says he thinks they’ve both been doing their share of avoiding. That’s not really like them, is it? Mac says, no. He’s taken a life in the line of duty before, but to see Doc’s face, to see his grief… there has to be a part of him that blames Mac for killing Ryan. Doc says, there isn’t. He’s been avoiding Mac and Felicia because he sees the relief on their faces. He feels it too. Relief that they’re safe, that the burden of his brother has finally been lifted from his life, but he still feels guilty. Mac says, Doc thinks they’ve been avoiding each other to ignore the voices in their head, and Doc says, if he were diagnosing, he’d say it was a classic case of avoidance. Be that as it may, Ryan was his brother at birth, but his brother in life, the one he can count on, his best friend, that’s Mac. Mac goes over to Doc, and hugs him. Felicia stands at the bar and smiles.

Dante says, Cody doesn’t deserve Mac? He has the feeling this has nothing to do with Cody’s past. If Cody doesn’t tell him something, he can’t help. Cody asks if Dante can keep a secret, and Dante says, to the grave. Cody hesitates, and Dante asks, how bad is this one?

Felicia says, everything worked out okay? and Mac tells her, he’d say so. In the 30 years they’ve been friends, this is the most they’ve ever talked about their feelings. He can’t take the credit. Cody was the one who suggested they talk it out. He thinks they had Cody all wrong when he first came to Port Charles.

Cody says, to the grave, right? and Dante nods. Cody gives him the paternity test, and Dante reads it. He says, so Mac is really Cody’s father.

Josslyn says, it’s been almost a year since Uncle Luke passed. Bobbie doesn’t talk about him much. Bobbie says she just can’t accept it. She keeps thinking he’s going to show up at her house one day (where does Bobbie live anyway? have we ever seen her place?), and say, hey, Barbara Jean, have I got one helluva story for you. They laugh, and Bobbie says she also knows that if Luke were still around, he would have reached out by now. There’s no way he would have let her, or Tracy, or his kids, grieve this long. Josslyn says she knows Bobbie misses him. Does she feel unsettled? Bobbie says, Josslyn’s Uncle Luke was larger than life, and there’s no way she’ll ever believe he died in some random accident. Someone out there is to blame.

Victor says, now the doctor’s got his attention. What exactly is wrong with his bloodwork? The doctor says, what he found was out of his purview, which is why he brought Dr. Finn on board for a consult. Victor asks what that means, and the doctor says, the lab results show a pathogen in Victor’s bloodstream.

Laura says, Drew’s given her a lot to think about, and he says, what does she say? Will she sell him the shares of ELQ? She says she’s sorry. She can’t do that. He looked so confident, I laugh. Why on earth would he think she’d just hand them over?

Ava says she’s impressed; this is like growth for Nina. Nina says, maybe not. Selfishly, she doesn’t want to do anything to hurt Willow. Because of her health issues, but also because Nina is hoping down the line they can have a real mother/daughter relationship. Ava says she totally gets that, but still, it must be nice to know Nina has this bombshell in her back pocket, just in case.

Elizabeth asks where Carly got the photo, and Carly asks if Elizabeth remembers her coming by the house after Elizabeth got back from Monterey. Elizabeth was in a really bad place, and determined to burn every picture of her parents. She thought one day Elizabeth would regret that decision. Elizabeth says, that is such a violation. She can’t believe Carly did that… Thank you. Carly knows she’s said this to Elizabeth before, but if she ever finds herself in this spot again, and needs to talk to someone, call her. She knows they don’t like each other all the time, but they respect each other enough to get the job done. Carly walks off, and Elizabeth looks at the photo.

Sonny asks if the sniper is dead, but Tony says, just incapacitated. Sonny asks about Dex’s wound, and Dex says, just a crease. Nothing to worry about. Does Sonny think he works for Pikeman? Sonny says he doesn’t think they’d want to risk jeopardizing the deal. Too much at stake. He’s going to find out who this guy is working for.

Tomorrow, Maxie says, the Nurses Ball is not happening; Dante asks why Cody would cheat himself; Laura says, whatever happens isn’t up to her; and Nina asks what Carly is keeping from her this time.

Below Deck

Captain Lee calls Ross and Fraser to the bridge, and says he thought the guests were well-behaved at dinner. Fraser tells the captain that the guests want to turn the boat into Club St. David. They’re bringing in dancers and a DJ. In the captain’s interview, he says, pick a party, they’ve had it on the boat, but it can rock on without his ass. Dinner is Japanese, and in Rachel’s interview, she says, Japanese food is fantastic, but it takes time to do the details. She’s got to do everything she can to make it perfect. She’s got to kill this. Hayley asks if Tyler is going to call his mum [and come out to her], and Tyler says, what scares him is, he doesn’t know how they’re going to react. Hayley says, they might get upset, but it will pass, and they’ll have to accept it. Isn’t she the optimist? I guess she’s never heard of anyone becoming estranged from their family after they’ve come out. In Ross’s interview, he says, he and Katie have had their ups and downs, and we flash back to some of those. In Katie’s interview, she says, it’s a bummer that it’s the end of the season. She and Ross are doing better, and she thinks it could be something more. In his interview, Ross says he doesn’t see a long term future for them. Guest Angel falls asleep on the floating trampoline, and Captain Lee asks how much line the trampoline has. He thinks it might be fun to let him go. Angel’s so-called friends agree, and the deckhands let the line out. Captain Lee says, this is classic. Now they’re going to douche him. In Tony’s interview, he says, the guests are fun to have around. He’d do this for free. He jet skis around Angel, and the captain says, Angel still had his drink in his hand. Angel finally realizes waves of water are crashing over him from the jet ski, and tries to board it behind Tony, but falls in the water. Primary Jake says, that made the trip. He’s ready to go home. Rachel says, tonight is going to be insane, and Fraser asks the stews to help set up the club. In Rachel’s interview, she says, while working with Captain Sandy, she learned how she can be quicker. Sometimes it’s not about quantity, but quality. We flash back to Rachel and Captain Sandy discussing timing, and Rachel says, tonight, she’s making one course after another, but cutting the courses back. The guests get ready for dinner, and laugh about Angel. C Canapés come out almost as soon as the guests sit down, and food just keeps coming. The stews go disco ball happy, and Fraser says, Angel lost his voice. This is the quietest moment they’ve had. In Fraser’s interview, he says, without Angel, it changes his opinion of the guests. They were overshadowed by a hideously demanding a-hole, who’s now lost his voice. Ross picks up the dancers and the DJ. Leigh-Ann grills Hayley about Camille, asking if she and Ben slept with each other. Hayley says she wasn’t there, and didn’t see it, but Tony was in the bottom bunk. It’s not like Ben would be cheating though. He’s allowed to have some fun. Shame on her for encouraging this.

Rachel brings out Kobe beef sashimi with a quail egg she cooks at the table. The guests applaud, and Jake says, it’s the best dish he’s ever had. The DJ sets up, and Jake says, the meal was an absolute pleasure. In Fraser’s interview, he says, great food gave the guests high spirits. Angel is a lovely man… joking. The guests go to the makeshift club and dance, while Leigh-Ann tends bar. The DJ says, this is the kind of vibe you do in St. Lucia. Rachel says she’s five Red Bulls deep, and never sleeping again. The DJ leaves around 1:30, and Ben calls Camille. He tells her that he thinks he’s ready to chill in the DR, and she says, it’s the last push. In Ben’s interview, he says he didn’t tell Camille about Leigh-Ann. Nothing happened… yet, but he does feel guilty. Leigh-Ann questions Ben about Camille, and he says, she was a deck stew who was let go; it was tough. They’re not dating, but they’re seeing each other after the season to figure out where they stand. Leigh-Ann says, the last time he’d messaged, he’d asked if she was seeing someone, and she was; now it was vice versa. In Leigh-Ann’s interview, she says she and Ben chatted for a year, as well as sending voice notes. It wasn’t nice to hear, but he did say they weren’t together, so she’s going for it. Because she’s an awful person. Not as awful as Jax, but still awful.

Captain Lee tells Ross that there’s a lot more swell, so docking should be fun. Rachel thinks her field of f***s has been plowed, and she has none left to give. On deck, Katie tells the deckhands that Ross tried out for a porn video, and in Ross’s interview, he says he went to a bar owned by a porn actor who said he should try out. A producer asks, what role? and he says, just a penis. Wow. Talk about spot-on casting. The captain gazes out, and envies another boat’s tender, grumbling that they have a POS. They head into Rodney Bay with the wind pushing them. Katie says, the currents are gnarly, and in Captain Lee’s interview, he says, any place the wind can get in, it will. It’s like a game. There’s a bullseye on the side of the boat, and that’s where the wind is headed. They dock, and the guests pack. There are goodbyes and hugs, and Jake says, everything was fantastic, and the food was above and beyond. The beach and boat parties were great. He gives the captain two envelopes, and in Hayley’s interview, she says, one could contain Monopoly money. The crew meets in the Sky Lounge for the tip meeting, and Captain Lee slams the now one envelope down, calling it a fat little f***er. He tells them, job well done. He can’t thank them enough for such a great first charter back. He goes over some docking things with the deckhands, and says, they’re picking up guests tomorrow at 1:30, so it gives them time to unwind. Oh. The money. He says, it was more than he thought – drumroll – $40K or $3,076 each. In her interview, Hayley says, it was payoff for dealing with Angel, and we flash back to what an a-hole he was. She says, it probably happens every time. Sorry about him. She mimics passing out money. The captain tells them to get their asses back to work.

Everyone is in a good mood because of the massive tip, and Fraser says he fancies Jake more now. The captain radios Fraser, Ross, and Rachel for the preference sheet meeting in the Sky Lounge. He says, it’s the last charter, is just one day, and they have a late pick-up, so no lunch. Primaries Keith and his wife Jolynn are bodybuilders, and one of their guests is Dexter the Blade Jackson, who was Mr. Olympia 2008, and his wife. They want a Buns & Guns contest, with the crew as contestants and the guests as judges. In his interview, Fraser says, they look intimidating. In Ross’s interview, he says, the contest sounds like they’ll have to be pretty naked and flexing like an idiot. He’ll try to evade it as long as he can. Captain Lee says, it’s the last one, and they need to end strong. Leigh-Ann wants to see who she’s competing with, and looks at pictures of Camille. In her interview, she says, Camille is beautiful and photogenic. It sucks, but she doesn’t look like Ben’s type. She’s too much of a poppie, a dumb American blonde. It doesn’t make her feel good, but maybe she has a chance. She asks if Camille was good at her job, and Tyler says, no; that’s why he’s here.

The crew goes ashore, and in his interview, Ross says, it’s not much downtime, and probably not the best idea to rage into the night, but what’s a couple days with a hangover? They head for Jacques Waterfront Dining, and toast to one helluva f***ing crew. Ben says, they’re breaking records. Hayley and Fraser step away for a smoke, and Hayley says Fraser made everyone proud. He says, it’s a learning curve, and she says, he taught her so much with grace and patience. In Fraser’s interview, he says, Hayley’s perception makes him confident. She’s a slice of everything okay. He hugs her. Leigh-Ann talks about how her last relationship broke her heart. He ran hot and cold, and she found out he was talking to ten other chicks. In her interview, she says she was cheated on in every relationship, which makes her even more awful, since she knows how it feels. She tells Ben that she feels like she’s moving on to another chapter. They crew goes to club Discotheque, and as Ben dances with Leigh, he takes his shirt off. He gives her a lap dance, and in his interview, he says he loves playing fire. It can’t hurt, can it?

Ross drags over some stranger named Adelina, and insists she join the group with her friends, Anna, Lisa, and Sam. In Katie’s interview, she says, WTF? She thought they were moving forward, but she guesses they’re going backward. It’s flat out disrespectful at this point. The crew heads back to the boat, and Katie tells Ross to behave, but he says he thinks they’re done. The others seem like they’re having more fun. Ross is a clear argument for not screwing the crew. Katie tells him to chill out. When they get back to the boat, she tells Ross that if he wants to play, fine. Wander, but leave her out. Fraser asks Ben about the comparison between Leigh-Ann online and in person, but Ben says he wants to see what happens with Camille. Fraser says, it’s going to be over before Ben knows it, but in Ben’s interview, he says he thinks Fraser has a better connection with Leigh-Ann than he did with Camille. It’s so hard. it’s a massive temptation, and he feels himself weakening. He tells Fraser, it’s so tricky, and Fraser says, do what’s best for himself. Katie tells Ross that she’s not trying to fight, but he has to realize that he’s a sh*tty person when he’s drinking. Ross insists he’s been nothing but nice, and wonders why she’s mad. He asks if he can kiss her, but she says, no. She’s ending it now. She walks away, and in Ross’s interview, he says, more drama. No matter what, he’s in the doghouse, and he’s over it. He tells her that he doesn’t think they were meant to be together. They’ve tried four times, and he doesn’t want her unhappy. He likes her, but even when he behaves, she pushes him away. She tells him not to let exterior people f*** with him; that’s who she is. In the crew mess, Hayley and Tyler shove cake in their faces, then throw the rest around.

Fraser says, never again, and Hayley laughs so hard, she pees herself. There’s cake absolutely everywhere, even in fruit bowl, and Tyler says, Hayley is like Ariel on crack. She says, all she wanted was goodnight Doritos. Out on deck, Leigh-Ann asks if Ben is having a good time. She doesn’t want to mess up what he has, and he says he wasn’t expecting her; she’s awesome. In his interview, he says he can feel himself giving in more. He might be in a bit of trouble. They hug, and go to their separate cabins. Hayley wonders why she got left with the mess, and yells for Tyler.

In the morning, everyone is hung over. Ross asks if Katie wants to talk; they need to sort themselves out. Katie says she was in her head, and he says, she came at him (a gross exaggeration). She gets a weird wall up. In Ross’s interview, he says he’s definitely got conflicted feelings. He loves flirting, and can’t decide. He just wants to have fun. Katie says, they both made mistakes, and suggests they just have fun. Ross says, they missed their chance to have sex in the guest cabin. They hug it out. Fraser says he’s not feeling good to put it lightly. He has no recollection of last night, but Tony says, Fraser just disappeared, and he says he’s proud of himself. Provisions come in, and Hayley says she’s too hungover for this sh*t. Everything is incredibly hard today. Captain Lee calls everyone to the aft deck for guest arrival, and Tyler desperately looks for his trousers. The crew lines up, and when they see the guests coming, and in Fraser’s interview, he says he’s not seeing many smiles. Not one hint of emotion. There’s a slow stampede of protein and muscle incoming, and the guests look like they’re going to kill them.

Next time, the crew’s sorry attempt at body building; Rachel’s sh*t-o-meter needle is in the red; Tyler calls his mum; the last crew dinner; and Leigh-Ann and Ben make out, maybe more. How disappointing. But then again, maybe the boat turns some people awful.

🏖 Since I’m desperate to get back that hour I lost over the weekend, I’ll talk trash about Summer House tomorrow. Believe me, it was nothing to write home about. Unless your Carl’s mom.

🏆 Bottom Line…

More on the Academy Awards tomorrow, but here’s the winner’s list. Looks like Everything Everywhere was the big kahuna.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/12/entertainment/oscar-winners-2023/index.html

🌉 In All the Old Familiar Places…

Stop by tomorrow for soap, and everyone awful all at once in New Jersey and the Hamptons. Until then, stay safe, stay appreciating other cultures, and stay being careful who you give your loyalty to. They may not return it in kind.

Jan25

January 24, 2023 – Josslyn Begs Cameron To Stay Silent About Dex, Kristina’s Pal, Opening Up, Anniversary Watch Party, No Snooki, Academy Picks & the City

Posted on January 25, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Dex goes in to see Sonny, and says, sorry for interrupting. Sonny says, as long as Dex knows, it’s always family first, and Dex says he does. Sonny asks what Dex has to tell him, and Dex says, Sonny told him to stay away from Josslyn, but he couldn’t.

Josslyn asks Cameron not to tell anybody about her and Dex, and he says, excuse me? Josslyn dumps him for Dex, and expects him to keep his mouth shut? She says, please, it has to stay a secret, and he asks, why? Because she’s ashamed of what she did? She says, no, because she’s afraid of what Sonny could do if he finds out.

Sam meets Maxie at The Savoy, and apologizes for being late. Maxie says she’s just glad Sam is there. It’s important for them to make time for each other when they can. Sam says, Maxie’s thinking of Britt, and Maxie says, yeah, and all the times she wanted to text Britt to just hang out or go shopping. But Britt was really busy, so there were a lot of texts never sent. When Sam’s name came up in her phone, she thought she’d really like to see her friend. Sam says, it’s good to see Maxie too.

Laura says, tell her what’s going on, and Elizabeth says, her mother is in town. Laura asks, why? Does Elizabeth think she wants to make ~~almonds~~ amends? Elizabeth says, apparently, that’s just a bonus. She’s here to consult on a patient. Laura says, and Elizabeth doesn’t believe her, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. After everything her mom and her dad have done, can she risk trusting her? Laura asks if her mom deliberately tried to get in touch with her, and Elizabeth says she thinks Carolyn just ran into her by accident. When they talked, she seemed sincere about wanting to make up for all the harm she caused, the lost time… It’s just that… Laura says, it’s just that with their history, it’s hard for Elizabeth to trust her, and Elizabeth says, exactly. Laura says she’s sorry. Unfortunately, she’s starting to feel that way about Nikolas.

Carolyn says she came all the way from Monterey because Nikolas said her daughter was in trouble and needs her help. Nikolas says, it’s true. He trusts she hasn’t told anybody about her trip, especially Elizabeth, and she says she hadn’t, but she ran into her daughter at Kelly’s. He asks what Elizabeth said, and Carolyn says she did as he asked and didn’t tell Lizzie about his phone call; just that she was here to consult on a case. He says he knew he could count on her discretion, and asks if she’d like a drink. She tells him, no thank you, but he could answer her question. What’s going on with Lizzie? What kind of trouble is her daughter in?

Paris, France. Valentin and Anna go into a monastery, and a monk asks if he can help them. Anna apologizes for it being late, and says, they’ve been reading about this ancient monastery, and the history is fascinating. Anna tells the monk that they’re going to pray, and she and Valentin kneel down by the altar. The monk leaves, and Anna says, if Valentin’s friend Renee doesn’t show, they’ll have to pray for a miracle. They’re running out of time to find Lucy before it’s too late.

Elizabeth asks what Nikolas did this time, and Laura says, he wants her to side with him when he sues Esme for full custody of her baby. She asks if it’s hard for Elizabeth to hear this stuff when she was recently involved with him, but Elizabeth says, no. What happened was… It ended as quickly as it began. They’re back to being friends. Laura says she’s glad to hear that. Nikolas needs all the friends he can get right now. Elizabeth says she knows the feeling, and Laura says she’s glad Elizabeth reached out to her. Would Elizabeth like her to talk to Carolyn; find out why she showed up suddenly after all these years, especially after Elizabeth told her that she didn’t want anything to do with her or Jeff? Elizabeth thanks her, but says, her mom is an expert at mind games. She played them on Elizabeth as a teenager, and she’s still dealing with the consequences. Laura says, Elizabeth knows she’s a part of her family too, right? and Elizabeth says, Laura is the mom she always wished she had. Laura takes her hand, and Elizabeth says, her birth mom wants back into her life, and she keeps asking herself, should she give Carolyn another chance?

Nikolas tells Carolyn, Elizabeth’s troubles started long before she came to Port Charles. Or does he have to remind Carolyn how young her daughter was when she and Jeff cut her loose to save their marriage? She asks if that’s what Elizabeth told him, and he says, yes. He and Elizabeth have been good friends; they tell each other everything. Elizabeth told him all about her dad’s unfortunate affair when he was supposed to be serving humanity out there in the Pacific. She says, Jeff’s not perfect, and neither is she, and Nikolas says, Elizabeth also told him about the unintended consequences that led to the death of Hamilton Finn’s wife Reiko. And how Carolyn used her skills as a psychiatrist to suppress Elizabeth’s memory of the incident. If she really wants to help her daughter, she’ll stop asking him questions, and do exactly as he says.

Maxie tells Sam, everything is set for Britt’s memorial. She’s sure if it were up to Britt, it would be another bash like her birthday. Sam says she heard it was legendary, and Maxie says, beyond. The drag emcee and shirtless waiters were just the beginning. She realizes now that Britt meant for it to be a goodbye party. Britt was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. She knew she was terminal… She should have had more time, years more. Sam hopes it’s some consolation that Britt died saving someone’s life, but Maxie says, the only consolation will be when the police identify The Hook, and send them to jail for the rest of time. Which got her thinking, has Dante shared any details from the police investigation with Sam? Sam asks if Mac has shared any details of the investigation with Maxie, and Maxie says, Mac never shares any details of police investigations with her… but she’s sure he shares them with her mom, because they’re a couple and he trusts her. And with a high stress job like that, you need someone to confide in. Sam and Dante are a couple, which gets her thinking… Sam says, most of the time, Maxie would be wrong, and Maxie says, and this time? Sam says, Maxie’s right. She and Dante are working together.

Anna tells Valentin, they can’t wait any longer. If the entrance to the catacombs is somewhere here, they have to find it themselves. He says, they have to wait for Renee. She’s not that late; she’ll be here. She’s a cataphile. She knows the catacombs better than anyone he’s ever met. Anna asks, what is it about her? Is it her knowledge of the catacombs that fascinates him, or is it the history they share? He says he was another man; that was another life. He took huge risks, and made large amounts of money illegally for a lot of people, including Renee. He can’t say he regrets that time in his life because it was a lot better than the one he had previously. She says, and now he’s revisiting it, when Renee says, there they are. Have they brought everything they need? Anna says, everything they need is in that backpack, and in French, Renee asks Valentin if he has everything he needs. The monk comes back, and Renee says, they won’t be long; she promises. She takes Valentin’s arm, and says, they may have to find their way in the dark.

Sonny asks Dex to explain why he couldn’t stay away from Josslyn, and Dex says, on New Year’s Eve, he was crossing Pier 55, and heard the signs of a struggle. He went to check it out, and found Josslyn on the ground, and a woman who turned out to be Britt Westbourne struggling with The Hook. Sonny says, go on, and Dex says he took a shot. It was a bad angle, and he didn’t want to risk hitting Dr. Westbourne, but the attacker dropped her weapon and took off. He went to check on Josslyn; she was shaken up, but not injured. Dr. Westbourne said she was okay. She must not have realized she’d been hit. Sonny says, so this happened New Year’s Eve. Why is he just hearing about it now?

Josslyn tells Cameron that Sonny told Dex to keep his distance from her. If Sonny finds out they’ve been seeing each other… Sonny prides himself on having his own code. If you break that code, you pay with your life. Cameron asks if what she’s saying is, she wants him to keep his mouth shut to save the neck of her new boyfriend, but she says she’s asking him to save a life. It’s Dex’s life, and she understands, but she knows Cameron. He would never deliberately hurt somebody else just for the sake of payback. He says, maybe she doesn’t know him as well as she thinks.

Carolyn says she won’t allow Nikolas to question her motives. She came all the way across the country to help her daughter; nothing more, nothing less. She knew there was a chance that Lizzie wouldn’t even talk to her, but that’s between her daughter and her. He says, first of all, no one in Elizabeth’s life calls her Lizzie; no one. And second, Elizabeth’s fate and his are intertwined. They’ve played a pivotal role in each other’s lives for decades. Can Carolyn say that? She says she has the feeling if he and Elizabeth are having a problem, he’s the one to blame, not her daughter. He says he’s not going to deny that, because she’s right, but he and Elizabeth are well past the place of pointing fingers. They’re both in trouble. End of story. Unless Carolyn chooses to act, and she acts now. Or was she just lying when she said she wanted to help? She asks what he wants her to do, and he says, years ago, she went to great lengths to protect Elizabeth, or so she said. Use those same skills to save her daughter before it’s too late.

Elizabeth tells Laura that Carolyn seems to genuinely regret the choices she made. It’s not like Elizabeth has never crossed a line or done something she’s regretted. Laura says, welcome to the club. It’s called being human. The important thing is, you just can’t let your past mistakes determine your future. Elizabeth asks if that same standard shouldn’t apply to her mom, and Laura says, yeah. Let’s start by assuming her mother is sincere and just wants a fresh start with her. Does Elizabeth think she could meet her halfway, and begin the healing process? Elizabeth says she’s always dreamed of her boys knowing their grandparents, and Laura asks, what stops her? Elizabeth says, at what point can she let go of the past, and actually forgive her parents?

Josslyn tells Cameron that she understands. She didn’t handle this situation the right way. She’s given him every reason to hate her, but she can’t believe he’d stand around and let Sonny blame it all on Dex. He says, she is so selfish. She totally broke his heart, but he thought, at least she’s being honest with him. It turns out, she was lying. It wasn’t because they grew apart. She dumped him because she found a new guy, and she wants him to help Dex? The answer is no. He’s not doing a favor for her and her new boyfriend. She says, don’t call him that, and he says, he is, isn’t he? But what goes around, comes around. She got with Dex by cheating on him, and he’s looking forward to the day Dex cheats on her, because that’s what she deserves. She got Dex, but at a cost, which is their friendship, now dead and buried. Let him be perfectly clear, it was her who ended it, not him. She says, absolutely. She gets it. She waited to long to tell him how she felt, so blame her, don’t blame Dex. He says, she made her choices. He has his too, and he’ll be damned if he keeps Dex’s secret for him.

Dex says, right after New Year’s, Miss Reeves found out her daughter has leukemia, and Sonny’s been focused on that. That’s why he came here today. He’d already left it too long, and knew Sonny needed to know. Sonny says, so he took a shot at The Hook, The Hook ran off, then what? Dex says, Dr. Westbourne wanted to call the police, but he knew if he was there, they would confiscate the gun, and trace it. Since he didn’t know where Sonny got it, he didn’t want to risk the scrutiny, but he didn’t want to leave Josslyn alone; she was pretty shaken up. Sonny says, so Dex took Josslyn with him, and Dex says, he explained to her why he couldn’t stick around for the cops, and gave her a choice. She chose to come with him. Sonny says, he just left Britt there, and Dex says, she agreed to cover for them. None of them saw The Hook’s face; she was wearing some kind of mask. None of them had any other information to offer. There was nothing to be gained by him or Josslyn talking to the cops; it would have only caused complications. Sonny says, so Dex and Josslyn left the pier. Where did they go? Dex says, back to his apartment, and Sonny says, Dex took Josslyn back to his place. Dex says, she didn’t want to go to her mom’s, and didn’t feel safe at her place. She was still shaken up, and he didn’t feel she should be alone. Sonny asks how long Josslyn stayed with him, and Dex flashes back to them getting busy. He says, a couple hours. Then she asked to go to Kelly’s, and he took her back to her mom’s. Sonny says, Carly knows? and Dex says, yes, sir. Sonny says, but Dex waited until now to tell him? and Dex says, only because of Miss Reeves. She needed Sonny, and Sonny was focused on her. He figured that was more important. Sonny says he appreciates the gesture, but it doesn’t let Dex off the hook~~, no pun intended~~.

Josslyn says, Cameron is right. He doesn’t owe Dex anything, but she’s not asking for his sake. She’s asking for the sake of what they’ve meant to each other. He says, what is that exactly? It’s clear to him that she didn’t give a crap about him. She says, that’s not true. She does care about him. She’s talking about before they broke up. He says, before she slept with Dex, and she says she hates seeing him this hurt; that’s on her, she knows. She knew what her feelings were, and didn’t say anything. She was trying to shield him, and made everything worse. She’s sorry. He’s a good guy. They’ve been friends forever, so she’s asking for the sake of those two friends who shared everything, the good and the bad. He asks if Dex means that much and him so little that she’s willing to compromise herself, and expect him to do the same.

Sam says, the reason she was late is that she just got back from Spring Ridge, and Maxie asks who she was visiting. Sam says, Esme Prince, and Maxie says, ugh. Because? Sam says, there’s a connection between Esme and the victims of The Hook attacks, and Maxie says she read all about it in The Invader. Sam’s mom’s coverage is must read journalism. Sam says, her mom is actually the reason she went to Spring Ridge. She wants Sam to track down Esme’s nanny. Maxie says, that’s not random or anything, and Sam says, it’s kind of a convoluted story, and the details are part of the investigation and privileged, so she can’t share them. But she can share that the nanny raised Esme after Esme’s adoptive parents died. The nanny Maggie Fitzgerald could potentially have information about a suspect in The Hook attacks. Maxie says, that’s a lot of mights and potentials, and Sam says she knows it’s a long shot. Maxie asks where Dante fits in, and Sam says, the police are on a parallel track. She and Dante are going to London to track down the last known address… Maxie asks when Sam was going to tell her about this, and Sam says she was just telling her. Maxie says she knows. They’re going to track down the nanny who might have information, blah-blah-blah, but Sam and the man she loves are going to England. It’s exciting. Sam says, yes, actually. It’s really exciting.

Laura says she’s not suggesting Elizabeth give her mother a free pass, but she thinks Elizabeth might regret it if she doesn’t at least try to work things out with her mom. Ultimately, it’s Elizabeth’s decision, and she’s here for Elizabeth, no matter what she decides. Elizabeth says, Laura doesn’t play fair, all this appealing to her better angels. She’ll do her best. Laura says, it’s all any of them can do.

Nikolas says, there’s a young woman currently being held in a minimum security prison known as Spring Ridge, and Carolyn says, it’s where Ryan Chamberlain is being held, correct? He says, yes. He’s the most infamous inmate, but the young girl he mentioned is fascinating in her own way. Carolyn asks, how so? and he says, before she was sent to Spring Ridge, she showed up at GH very pregnant, with no clue how she got that way. She asks if he’s saying the girl has memory loss, and he says, so it seems; she’s a total blank slate. But more important, she has to stay that way. She says, important to who? Him? He says, and Elizabeth, and she asks, what exactly doesn’t he want this poor young woman to remember? He says, it’s better if she doesn’t know, and it’s better for her daughter if this poor young woman never gets her memory back.

The monk closes the doors, and Valentin says, the coast is clear. Where’s the entrance to the catacombs? Renee asks if he can feel it too, and he says, feel what? She says, the thrill, the rush, just like it used to be it. It can be that way again, and he says, she knows him; first, they finish the job. She says, and then? Anna joins them with the backpack, and asks what they’re waiting for. They go inside the catacombs.

Carolyn says, Nikolas is asking her to medically manipulate an already damaged young woman to serve his needs? He says he’s asking her to use her expertise for the greater good, while serving Elizabeth’s needs. She says, if her daughter agreed to that, Elizabeth would have asked herself, and he says, Elizabeth has a good heart; that’s partly why she’s in this mess. She needs her mom to help her out, using her skills and training to suppress Esme’s painful memories like she once did for Elizabeth. She says, when did that procedure on Lizzie, she was thinking about her emotional well-being, but Nikolas says he doesn’t think Elizabeth thought it was in her best interest. They both know how much she’s suffered since then. Isn’t that what lured Carolyn back here, the opportunity to make it right? Carolyn says, and Nikolas calls himself a friend, and he says he’s a better friend than she is a parent, but she has the chance to atone for that. He’s offering her one last chance.

Josslyn says, their friendship is something she cherished, and Cameron says, stop pretending she has any respect for him. All this crap about how they couldn’t make it as a couple didn’t mean anything because she didn’t want to make it work; she found someone else. And now she wants him to keep her dirty little secret. She says, Dex works for Sonny; that complicates things. What she did hurt Cameron, and she hates that. If their friendship has to take a time out because of that, that’s fine; she understands. But she wants their friendship to have a future, somehow somewhere down the road. She wants him to want that too. He says, what if he doesn’t want that? What if he can’t ever find it in himself to forgive her? What then? She says, then she has to tell Dex before this gets back to Sonny.

Dex tells Sonny that he picked up the casing, so there’s nothing to tie the gun to what happened on New Year’s. He puts the casing and gun on the table, and says he understands if Sonny doesn’t trust him with it anymore. Sonny says, keep it, but he wants Dex to spend more time at the shooting range, because he doesn’t want Dex to miss next time. As long as Dex can look him in the eyes and swear he’s telling him everything.

Valentin says, the smell brings back memories, and Renee says, the smell in the catacombs is very memorable. He says, and not in a good way. They’ve been walking for a while now; how far have they gone? She says, they’ve gone at least one mile underground, and he asks if they’re getting closer to the compound where Victor is holding Lucy. She says, it can’t be far now, and he calls to Anna. He says, Anna was right behind them, and Renee says, it’s easy for people to get lost, especially when it’s their first time. He says, they have to go back and look for her, and Renee says, or they could celebrate that it’s just the two of them now.

Dex says he’s told Sonny everything. He can ask Josslyn. Sonny says he plans to, but he does appreciate Dex showing him respect, especially with what’s going on with Michael and Willow; they’re going through a tough time. Dex says, if Sonny doesn’t mind him asking, how are they doing? and Sonny says, they’re waiting to see if Nina’s a match so she can be a marrow donor for Willow. Dex says he hopes everything works out, and Sonny thanks him for looking out for Josslyn that night. He’s not officially her stepfather anymore. She wants nothing to do with him and he has no say, but she’s still important to him. Dex says, it goes with the job, right? Protecting everyone who’s important to Sonny. Sonny says, that’s the same thing he used to say when he was young, and had to prove himself. Dex is doing good. The sky’s the limit for him.

Cameron tells Josslyn, all this talk about cherishing their friendship is just BS. She just wants to butter him up so he’ll stay quiet about her wannabe mobster boy toy. She says she hurt Cameron, and now he wants to hurt her; maybe she deserves that. But that doesn’t change the fact that if Sonny finds out she slept with Dex, he could turn on Dex. He might even have Dex killed. Does Cameron get that? He tells her, don’t dare try to make this his fault. She screwed him over, and he doesn’t owe her a damn thing. He walks to the door, and she asks where he’s going. He says, to Kelly’s, to go to his normal, boring, non-mafia job, and she asks what he’s going to do. He says, what does she think? Does she really believe he’s going to go on the internet and tell everyone his girlfriend left him for some stupid criminal? Her secret is safe with him. She thanks him, but he says, don’t dare thank him for being a better person than she is. Unlike her, he doesn’t betray the people he cares about. He leaves.

Laura says, it’s pretty clear there’s something else weighing on Elizabeth. Does she want to talk about it? Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to involve Laura in any more of her troubles. As much as she’d love to blame her parents, she’s not that 15 year old girl they shipped off. She’s a grown woman with three kids of her own. At some point, she needs to take responsibility for her own decisions. Laura says, that’s something they all need to do, but if what Elizabeth is struggling with involves Nikolas, she’s already involved. He’s her son, and she loves him. She always will, but she knows how persuasive he can be. Nikolas can make a bad idea seem reasonable. Elizabeth says she knows, and Laura asks if he’s imposed on their friendship. Elizabeth says, he talks a good game, but the choices she’s made are the choices she’s made, and she has to live with them. Laura says, she can always change her mind. Whatever it is, Elizabeth can tell her.

Maxie says she’s happy Sam found love again. To have been hurt so badly and grieve, then risk her heart again? She really admires Sam. Sam says, falling in love with Dante wasn’t some courageous act. It was actually the easiest most natural thing she’s ever done. They were friends, and she liked him; then she was like, wow, I love him. He told her that he loved her, and it just felt right. Don’t get her wrong. There have been plenty of bumps in the road along the way. Maybe she could have taken the pressure off with the whole moving in situation. Maxie says, because it was so important, she might screw it up? Like moving in together might be the beginning of the end? Sam says, pretty much, but moving in together wound up being wonderful. They fit really well together as a family. Maxie says, that’s awesome… and dangerous.

Nikolas says, what does Carolyn say? Does she want to put her psychiatric skills to use to help her daughter? She says, go to hell. All those years ago, when she used her skills so Elizabeth could forget that traumatic experience, she told herself that she was doing what was best for her daughter, but that wasn’t true. She was taking the easy way out for her and her husband, and she’s spent a lifetime wishing she could undo that mistake. The one and only reason she came to Port Charles was to make it right with Elizabeth. She’s not going to compound her mistake at the expense of another poor, young, innocent woman. Nikolas says, the woman in question is hardly innocent, and Carolyn says, the trouble is, she doesn’t trust him. And she absolutely will not use her knowledge of the human mind to play God with someone else’s life. She made that mistake decades ago, and it’s a mistake she’ll always regret. She picks up her stuff, and walks to the door. Nikolas says, maybe this time, Elizabeth will regret it, and Carolyn stops, turning around.

Valentin says, Renee is right. It is just her and him, and that’s a problem for him. They have to turn around and find Anna. Renee asks, what’s the rush? If Anna is as resourceful as he’s been telling her, doesn’t he think she’ll catch up… eventually, that is. She knows he can feel the heat between them. Those old feelings don’t just evaporate. She can still remember those wild times they had. She doesn’t think it’s possible to forget them. It can be like that again – she moves closer, about to kiss him – only better, if you play your cards right. A flashlight shines toward them, and Anna says, there they are. She took a wrong turn and thought she lost them… Did something happen while she was gone?

Carolyn says she can’t believe Nikolas calls himself her daughter’s friend, and he says, when Elizabeth graduated high school, he was there. Where was she? When Elizabeth graduated nursing school, he was there. Where was she? When the three boys were born, when Franco died, for all those times, he was there to hold Elizabeth’s hand, to wipe her tears away, to celebrate her victories. He was there for all of it. She was there for none of it, so don’t take that sanctimonious tone with him, because that flag won’t fly. She says, what she and Jeff did to Elizabeth all those years ago, broke their hearts, but at least they were able to tell themselves that Elizabeth had her grandmother to look out for her when they couldn’t. And her friends. Or so they thought. Now she sees how wrong they were. He says, they can agree on one thing, Audrey was a saint. She took great care of Elizabeth, and so did her friends, including him. If Elizabeth needs anything, day or night, all she has to do is call, and he’ll be there. Carolyn says, please. He’s just out to save himself. He says, she’s partially right. He does want to save himself, but he wants to save Elizabeth too. Can Carolyn say that? She walks out.

Elizabeth tells Laura, it started off simply. She just wanted to repay a friend. Nikolas was there when her life went sideways when Franco got killed, and the more she got involved in his plan… Cameron walks in, and says, it’s great to see Laura. He hugs Laura, and says he didn’t think Elizabeth would still be here. She wasn’t waiting for him, was she? Elizabeth says, no. Laura came to meet her and they got to talking. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s fine; never better. In fact, he’s so fine, he wants to treat them to a special dessert. Elizabeth says, he doesn’t have to, but he says he wants to. It’s on him; on the house. He goes in the back, and Elizabeth asks if he’s trying too hard. Laura says, in a word, yes.

Maxie says, Sam and Dante really are the picture of domestic bliss. Two jobs, four kids; all they need is a dog. But all that domesticity can get in the way of romance. Tell her if this sounds familiar. Between Sam’s job and Dante’s job, making dinner, helping kids with their homework, by the time they’re alone together, they’re already in bed. It’s inevitable one of them is asleep before they turn out the light. Sam says, occasionally that happens, and Maxie says, but in London, Sam and Dante will be alone together, away from their daily lives. Yes, they’ll be investigating, but maybe they’ll have time to take a stroll through Kensington Gardens, or have a candlelit dinner, or room service in bed. Sam says she hopes they get the chance, but even if they don’t, Maxie’s right. She and Dante are going to be alone together, and this is going to be their first trip as a couple. She’s really excited about it. Maxie says she bets Dante is too. Cheers to Sam and Dante in London. Sam says, cheerio, and they clink glasses.

Sonny says he’s glad they had this talk, and Dex says, goodnight, boss. In the hallway, Dex’s phone rings, and he says, what’s up? Sitting on her dorm room floor, Josslyn says she just had a horrible conversation with Cam. He said some pretty harsh things about her. Dex says, she doesn’t sound good, and she says, she just lost her oldest friend. He asks if they’re in trouble, but she says she doesn’t think so. Cam said he wouldn’t say anything. Dex says he just told Sonny about the night Dr. Westbourne was killed, and he took Josslyn back to his place. She asks how much he told Sonny, and he says, he believes nothing happened between them. They’re all good.

On the phone, Sonny says he needs someone (probably Brick) to check on Dex Heller.

Valentin says, thank God Anna’s okay. He was afraid she’d gotten lost. They were about to circle back for her. Weren’t they? In French, Renee says, Valentin was beside himself with worry, and Anna answers in French, I understand. So what do they have here? It looks like a dead end. Valentin says he’s not so sure, and they walk over to some iron bars. He says, hang on, and they look inside with flashlights. He says, oh my God, and we see Lucy, bound and gagged.

Tomorrow, Laura says, Martin isn’t actually considering that, is he; Olivia asks Drew why she gets the impression it has something to do with Carly; Carly says, Josslyn needs to be sure this is what she really wants; and Lucy’s rescue mission proceeds.

👯‍♂️ That’s What Friends Are For…

Not sure where I’d be without mine. Dogs help too.

GH’s Kristina Wagner Thanks Pal Finola Hughes for her Support

🔥 Blazing Her Trail…

But what happens when he goes back to being a cop?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jacqueline-grace-lopez-opens-up-about-blaze-and-chase-on-gh

🔦 Look Into the Light…

If you’re a Guiding Light fan, this is Wednesday, January 25^th, like five minutes from now.

Don’t Miss a Very Special GUIDING LIGHT Anniversary Watch Party

👎🏽 No, Just No…

Ugh. I can’t believe these people are middle aged and still drinking until they get tossed out of a restaurant. The Jersey Housewives don’t need any help being idiots.

Andy Cohen Shares Why He Said Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi Will Never Be On Real Housewives Of New Jersey

🏆 The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For…

The Oscar noms.

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2023

🛒 Getting In the Express Lane…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and whatever I can dig up. FYI, the RHOSLC Reunion starts tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay optimistic, but practical, and stay not letting your past mistakes determine your future.